Month: November 2010

CF Indios have the biggest game of the year tonight. They need to win or else the season is over. Their date is confirmed for 7:00pm tonight at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium. Speaking with "El Diario" Senior Reporter for the Indios Sergio Arturo Duarte yesterday he told me that he feels that this team is at the best they have been all year long, pyschologically speaking.

Duarte told me yesterday over a phone conversation that the team is calm and ready to go. More importantly, Arturo Duarte told me that everyone on the team is aware that during the course of the game they need to remain calm because if they stick to the game plan they will win and advance in the playoffs.

It just wasn't meant to be. CF Indios lost yesterday to Orizaba by a score of 1-0 in the first of a two-game home and home series. For the Indios, the ball simply did not want to go into the goal. Countless numbers of balls off the posts and crossbar denied the Tribe the opportunity to at least get the tie.

Before a crowd of what seem to be less than 200 people in the city Veracruz, Orizaba used some home field karma to get the win over the team from the Borderland. Indios got off to a quick start attacking but Eduardo Lillingston failed on three different, crystal clear occasions, within the first ten minutes of the game to put the ball into the back of the net.

In the 29th minute of the match Juan Cavallo for Orizaba took a short from outside the goalie box, a good 30 yards out that inexplicably got by Indios goalkeeper Huberto Hernandez. The shot, was no more potent than a kick by a 5 year-old child, slipped underneath the hands of Hernandez to find the corner of the goal.

For the remainder of the game it was all Indios. Orizaba made it clear that they were no longer going to attack the Indios and were going to only defend and hold down the fort to escape the game at home with a 1-0 lead.

The Indios attacked non-stop in the second half. But even the offensive substitutions made by Gambino Amparan (which were appropriate, but in my opinion took to long to execute) were not enough to get the tie.

The Indios now are in a must win situation to advance in the playoffs. The second game will be on Saturday night at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium at 7:00pm. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

For CF Indios the first set goal has been accomplished, make the playoffs. Now its time to work for the second goal, advance past the first round of the playoffs. Although the first step took 17 games to accomplish, the second will have to be accomplished in two. That is what the Indios will work for tonight as they take on Orizaba in the first of the 2-game home and home series. The game that is set to take place in Veracruz will begin at 6:00pm local time.

Indios defeated Orizaba by a score of 2-1 earlier this season (week 7) at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium. The Tribe will take the best offensive attack in the Liga De Ascenso (32 gols on the Apertura 2010 season) to Veracruz and look to continue to put the ball in the back of the net. However, in order to do this the Indios will have to get a little more creative.

Sergio Arturo Duarte of "El Diario", is reporting that Indios will play with 2 defensive midfielders (Juan Ramon Cubelo and Tomas Campos). This means that the Indios starting formation will have a bit more of a defensive look from the get go. The Indios have played with only one defensive midfielder throughout a majority of the season.

The two defensive midfielder strategy is a sound one for head coach Gabino Amparan. Indios will be on the road in what will be the most important game of the season up this point, I feel that coming out with your guard up and waiting to see how the game develops is the smart thing to do. You have to remember that Juan Ramon Curbelo has found his scoring touch recently despite playing the defensive midfield position. The one thing that he will be able to do with Campos playing alongside with him is to move up and join the Indios attack more freely.

The game will be broadcast on RadioNET 1490AM starting at 5:45pm. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

Tickets for the Indios first round playoff game on Saturday night have gone on sale here in El Paso. International Soccer put the tickets on sale today. The prices are $6, $9, and $16. International soccer is located on 5640 Montana Ave. Ste. F. It is open from 11am-7pm daily. The game against Orizaba is scheduled for 7:00pm Saturday night at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium.

The Tribe will go against Orizaba tonight in Veracruz in the opening match of the 2-game home and home series at 6:00pm.

Tickets for the Indios playoff game against Orizaba on Saturday night at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium will be on sale today for season ticket holders at the stadium box offices from 9am-6pm. Tomorrow the tickets will go on sale to the general public also at the stadium box offices also from 9am-6pm and continue throughout the week until they are soldout. Ticket prices for the match vary form 60 pesos to 250 pesos (about $5.50 to about$22).

Tickets for the game will also be sold here in El Paso at the International Soccer Store later this week. I will post up info regarding ticket sales here as soon as I get it.

The time the matches will be on Wednesday for the away game, and the game on Saturday night will be determined later today.

CF Indios now knows their destiny with regards toward the Apertura 2010 Liguilla (playoffs). After Veracruz failed to beat Tijuana earlier today, the Indios locked up the second seed in the playoffs and will face the Albinegros de Orizaba.

The Indios finished the season with 29 points and Orizaba with 25 points. Tomorrow morning at 11:30am, there will be a meeting in the offices of the Mexican Soccer Federation in Mexico City to determine the days and times that the first round matches will be contested.

I would assume that because the Indios generally play on Saturday nights in the fall the games will take place on Wednesday and on Saturday. The first game in the 2-game series will be held at Orizaba's home stadium on Wednesday, with the second game being played at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

And the streak ends. CF Indios lost their final game to the Black Lions of the Universidad de Guadalajara on Friday night by a score of 3-1. The Indios gave up a 1-0 advantage in the first half to ultimately lose to the Lions.

As of this minute the Indios still remain in second place in the general standings and are awaiting result of the Veracruz-Tijuana game later today to see what their seed in the playoffs will be. The Tribe is currently the second seed in the playoffs but can drop down to the number three seed if Veracruz wins later this afternoon.

Regardless, the Indios will have home field advantage with regards to the home and home 2-game series that will most like start on Wednesday. The team from the Borderland will either face off against Orizaba if they are second seed or Irapuato if they are third. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

No matter what sporting event you will be attending tonight across the Borderland make sure you take a radio with you. The Indios away game against the Black Lions of the Universidad de Guadalajara will be broadcast on RadioNET 1490 AM, with coverage starting at 7:45pm.

Newsradio AM 600 KROD will also continue its comprehensive coverage of high school football tonight with Football Friday Nights. The playoffs begin tonight and KROD has you covered with ALL of the area's high school football games.

Of course you will have UTEP Miner Basketball on 92.3 FM as well starting at 6:45pm. Tune in because all three are going to be exciting!!!

The drawing for groups for the 2011 Copa America was held in La Plata, Argentina yesterday. The tournament that will take place next July in Argentina will have 10 teams from South America and 2 invites (Japan and Mexico). The groups are as follows:

Group A: Argentina, Columbia, Japan, and Bolivia

Group B: Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Venezuela

Group C: Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, and Peru

The top two teams and the 2 best third places will advance from the group stage to the knockout phase of the tournament.

CF Indios defeated Tijuana by a score of 1-0 at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium on Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd. This victory clinched a playoff spot for the Tribe and gave Tijuana its only defeat this season with one game to go.

The Indios now have 29 points and will be looking to close out the regular season with a win on the road against the Black Lions of the Universidad de Guadalajara on Friday Night in Gualdalajara, Jalisco. A win for the Indios would mean home field advantage for them at least in the first two rounds of the playoffs should they advance that far.

Juan Ramon Curbelo scored the gol for the Tribe in the second half of the match against Tijuana. This is the second game in a row that Curbelo scores at home for Indios.

The Indios have now gone 8 games without knowing defeat and are without a doubt one of the hottest teams in the Liga de Ascenso going into the playoffs. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!!